


This is the Truth About the Moon

by purplechucks



Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Canon Divergence, M/M, alternative ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-11
Updated: 2017-03-11
Packaged: 2018-10-02 14:38:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10220441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purplechucks/pseuds/purplechucks
Summary: After the rally falls to pieces, Jack ends up at the Jacobs' fire escape instead of the roof of the Lodge, owing Davey an explanation.(Inspired the deleted song from the musical, The Truth About The Moon, which would have been a perfect Davey solo after the rally)





	

**Author's Note:**

> To give context, in my ideal world after the rally in the musical we would have followed Davey back to his house instead of following Jack to the lodge and "The Truth About the Moon" would be his solo. It's literally a whole song that captures that one look they shared after Jack almost hit Les and everyone started running everywhere. 
> 
> And then I made it gay because I can.

_ this is the truth about the moon _

_ the facts are black and white _

_ and yet I couldn’t think of one _

_ while watching it tonight _

 

“Hey Davey?”

Davey turns around as Les pulls himself through the window and onto the fire escape, and stands next to him; just tall enough to see over the railing. Davey knows he should send him back to bed, but he doesn’t have the energy or the heart to do so. 

“Yeah?” he asks. 

“Why’d Jack do it, why’d he betray us? Just because they were going to give him money?”

Davey sighs. “I don’t know Les, I really don’t.”

Les pauses, unsatisfied. “Was he really going to hit me?”

“No,” Davey says firmly, because he may not know anything else about what’s happened in the past few hours but he knows this. “Jack would never. He thought you were someone else.”

“Who though?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well you don’t know much of anything tonight, do you?” Les says, frowning up at his big brother. “Bet you don’t even know anything about the moon, and you love the sky.”

Davey looks up at the moon, bright and shining as always. Les is right, though he doesn’t know why. All Davey can think about is how hurt he feelings. Forget anything else, forget everything he’s learnt at school. There’s a fist in his chest, grabbing onto his insides and squeezing so tightly that it’s hard to breathe. His head hurts and the backs of his eyes sting, and he doesn’t get why he feels like this. He’s only known Jack for a few days. 

“C’mon Les, you need to go back to bed.”

“You coming too?”

“In a minute.”

Les pauses as he starts to go back through the window. “You know, Jack told me the moon was bigger in Santa Fe.”

“Huh,” Davey says. “Now I don’t think that’s true.”

Les shrugs and shuts the window, and Davey makes sure he goes back to his bed before turning to look out into the night again. His chest may feel trapped but everything else is just… empty. This can’t be the end of everything they’ve done so far, but what are they without their leader, their voice? 

“David Jacobs, what are you doing out here at this hour?” 

His mother’s head appears out of the next window over. He can only just see her, but he knows she’s frowning in disapproval. 

“Sorry Momma, just need some fresh air.”

“That rally of yours didn’t go so well tonight did it?”

“No”

“I’m sorry to hear that David. I know you kids are trying to do something good. You come to bed soon, alright, it’s almost midnight.”

“Okay.”

 

_ I learnt the truth about the moon _

_ and the facts I learnt are right _

_ I only wish they made me feel _

_ like the lies I learnt tonight _

 

He’s about to go inside when a small stone lands on the balcony. He looks up, then down, and is surprised by the figure he sees down on the street, illuminated by the dull street lamp. 

“Jack?” 

He’s more confused than anything else. Jack’s got his money, his free ticket to Santa Fe. What does he want with Davey? What did he  _ ever _ want with Davey? 

“Hey… I… can I come up?”

“Why?” There’s a bite to his words that Davey never thought would come from him, and judging from his face neither did Jack. “I… uh, okay, sure.”

As Jack climbs up the fire escape Davey represses the urge to already start arguing. His brain is screaming  _ liar liar liar he’s a liar.  _ Even when Jack comes to stand next to him, Davey doesn’t stop looking up at the sky. He can hear Jack’s heavy breathing from running up those stairs, can feel Jack’s eyes on him. 

“I need to explain…” Jack begins, and that’s all that’s needed to set Davey off. 

“Explain what? Explain why you suddenly bail on us? Why you sided with  _ Pulitzer _ ? Explain why Katherine and I had to make sure every newsie got back to the lodge safely because Snyder's goons were everywhere?” Davey finally looks him in the eye. “Trust me Jack, I got the message.”

“You haven’t,” Jack says. “You don’t understand!”

Davey pauses for moment, to check they haven’t woken up his family, then gestures for Jack to follow him up onto the roof. Up there, he grips the railing tight, desperate for an explanation. 

“Okay, what don’t I understand?”

Jack fidgets, refusing to look Davey in the eye. “I didn’t have a choice. I really didn’t. Pulitzer had my hands tied. I did as he said, or you were going to get hurt.”

“What… wait,  _ me _ ?” Davey’s heart starts pounding. 

“You, Les, in the refuge with Crutchie… or worse. I would let you think I’d betrayed you a thousand times before I let you get locked up in there because of me.”

Davey opens his mouth, but nothing comes out. He doesn’t get it. Jack shouldn’t be doing all of this for him. He stares at Jack, and Jack looks at him. The puzzle pieces fit together but he can’t quite see what picture they make up yet. 

“I… I still don’t get it,” he says eventually. “Jack, the newsies are your brothers, your family. Why would you… You’ve only known Les and I for a couple of days…”

“You’re right,” Jack moves closer to him. “They are my brothers, but they weren’t the ones being threatened, and I knew they’d be fine. Dave, you’re my  _ partner.” _

Jack’s hand is on his elbow, his eyes making direct contact with Davey’s. 

_ Oh.  _

Suddenly he can see the picture. 

 

_ this is the truth about the boy _

_ there’s nothing more to say _

_ that when I looked into his eyes _

_ I could not look away _

 

Now there’s a different kind of squeeze in his chest, and Davey doesn’t know what to do. Jack’s hand slides down his arm and he links their fingers together. Every move is so slow, so careful, and Jack’s giving him plenty of time to back away. To pretend this isn’t happening. 

Davey doesn’t move backwards. He moves forward. 

They’re almost chest to chest, their breaths intertwining in the cold air of the night. Moving even closer. Noses brush, hands squeeze, fingers gently touch a cheek. Jack closes the last remaining centimetres between them, and then they’re kissing. 

Davey has honestly never thought about kissing Jack, but this wasn’t how he ever could have imagined kissing him would be like. His lips are warm yet chapped, moving against his own slowly but with strength. For a single, brief moment, every harsh word and worry over the strike melts away until there’s nothing but them and this kiss. 

He only wishes it could last. 

Jack starts it and ends it, pulling back and cupping Davey’s face in his hands. “As much as I want to stay like this. We’ve got to go.”

“We? Why?”

“Katherine’s written us our own pape. I know where we can find a printing press. Guess what we’re doing next.”

Davey’s eyes widen. “No.”

“Yes. C’mon, we gotta get the fellas.”

“Hang on, let me get Les. He’ll kill me if he misses this.”

They climb back down the fire escape, and Davey retrieves a half asleep Les from their bedroom. The streets of Lower Manhattan are quiet, only their footsteps audible. 

“Hey Jack?” Les slurs, eyes not even open as Davey carries him. “You still going to Santa Fe?”

Jack shrugs, and doesn’t look Davey in the eye. “Maybe. Why, you wanna come?”

“Nuh-uh. I would miss my momma too much.”

“Fair enough.”

Amongst the hustle and bustle of finding all the newsies, breaking into the World and printing a paper, Davey almost forgets Jack could be gone by morning. 

 

_ fly away, Santa Fe _

_ you’re the seed of a dream, not a plan _

_ love leads me, still it seems _

_ like the dream of a boy not a man _

 

“With the strike settled, I should probably be hitting the road.”

Davey freezes, the tight feeling in his chest returning with twice the power of the night before. Just when he thinks he understands Jack Kelly, it turns out he knows nothing. People don’t have one truth, like the sky or the moon. Maybe that’s the one thing he hates about people. 

“When are you going to stop singing that same old tune?” Katherine demands. “What’s Santa Fe got that New york ain’t? Or better yet, what’s New York got that Santa Fe ain’t?”

“New York’s got us, and we’re family,” Crutchie reminds Jack. Davey knows Crutchie would follow Jack anywhere, and almost envies his choice to be able to. 

Jack doesn’t say anything. Doesn’t look at anyone. Davey knows he should say something, anything. But what can you say to the boy who’s put his faith in fantasy, when all you’ve got are facts?

 

_ many tears down here in my cocoon _

_ where I’m protected by the facts _

_ like the truth about the moon _

 

“Jack”

Davey moves to his side, waits until Jack is looking at him. “Did you know the moon is a natural satellite of the Earth?”

“What’s that got to do with anything?” Jack frowns, as though he was expecting something else entirely. 

“It’s the same size no matter where you are.”

A pause. Davey holds his breath, hoping Jack understands the meaning behind the words.

“Jack, are you staying or not?” Les demands, as impatient as ever. 

Jack breaks out of his lost boy look, grinning. “I can’t just ditch my selling partners can I?”

The newsies cheer. Davey grins back at Jack, and then is surprised when Jack pulls him into a tight hug, whispering thank yous into his shoulder. Finally, the grip on his chest is gone. 

 

_ latin name luna _

_ lovely name Jack _

 


End file.
